Lisbon looks for state title

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Thomas Horgeshimer turned on the jets after the first mile at the Class B East Region meet last Saturday in Cooperstown.

The Lisbon High School junior turned in a spectacular performance, finishing with a time of 16 minutes, 57 seconds to take the region title over teammate Jacob Gallagher, who finished second 34 seconds later.

“He just went out and got a lead early,” Lisbon coach Joe Kern said. “He went out hard and fast and kept it throughout the race. He kept a good spread.”

Lisbon’s top two paced the Broncos to a team score of 64 and the region title. The boys are back at it again on Saturday, when they travel to Dickinson for the Class B state meet, set for 1 p.m. Central Time.

Horgeshimer was the East Region champion as a sophomore as well, but Kern knew his biggest test would come from Gallagher, a senior ranked third in the latest coaches poll, one spot ahead of Horgeshimer.

“We felt that our runners, Thomas and Jacob, were gonna be battling each other for a region championship,” Kern said.

Of the five scorers on the team, four are seniors. Kieran Hall, who finished sixth, and Justin Warling and Zach Hanson join Gallagher as the team’s veterans. And like any senior-laden team, there’s only one more chance to win a state championship.

Lisbon is ranked second in the poll behind New Town, which dominated the West Region meet by placing 10 runners in the top 21.

“With double the numbers in the state meet, scoring can definitely play out a lot differently,” Kern said. “New Town won the West. Everyone’s kind of looking at them. Now will be our chance to take a shot at them.

“We think we’ve got a shot. We’re gonna go after them.”

Ashley Perez of Dakota Prairie captured the East Region championship on the girls side. She’s the state’s No. 3-ranked runner behind two West counterparts.

Barnes County North eighth-grader Tess Scott is ranked fifth in the poll, but finished second at the region meet ahead of Langdon’s Madison Gopp, who is actually ranked ahead of Scott.

Sun sportswriter Chris Aarhus can be reached at (701) 952-8462 or by email at caarhus@jamestownsun.com

Tags: class b, sports, football